Muni Fiber Last Mile - a contrary opinion

Mon Dec 27 22:10:51 UTC 2010

Cable modem is no different than a DSL modem, right? ;)

If it's an eMTA, it may have battery backup, though the operational default
is to disable the Ethernet port after a few minutes to provide the maximum
amount of dial-tone.

Frank

-----Original Message-----
From: Owen DeLong [mailto:owen at delong.com] 
Sent: Monday, December 27, 2010 12:05 AM
To: frnkblk at iname.com
Cc: NANOG; Jared Mauch
Subject: Re: Muni Fiber Last Mile - a contrary opinion

On Dec 26, 2010, at 7:35 PM, Frank Bulk - iName.com wrote:

<snip>

>>> You are likely already at the mercy of some local hut for your dialtone.
>> Very few things home run to the co these days. It's unlikely any hut has
>> more than 24 hours of battery.
>>> 
>> I know this is true where FTTN overlays have been built. However, in the
>> majority of California, at least, that is still more the exception than
>> the
>> rule and there is usually a Cat-3 Copper home-run for local dialtone.
> 
> [Frank Bulk]
> Here in the midwest each and every of the telcos that I've talked to or
> worked with feeds dialtone for their DSL customers from the same equipment
> that serves the DSL.  To do otherwise would require a splitter shelf in
each
> node.
> 
In California, that is, by and large, the CO.

<snip>

>> However, 24 hours of dialtone after something happens still exceeds the
>> average cablemodem duration after the
>> power flickers.
> 
> [Frank Bulk]
> Some MSOs (including ourselves) have power systems (e.g. Alpha) in place
> throughout the plant to provide backup power for at least some time.
> 

Does that back up the cablemodem in the residence? If not, game over.

Owen